Despite the HST fiasco, tax news in B.C. isn't all bad

You’d never guess from the tenor of talk you hear – whether among friends or in the media – but there is some good news about taxes in B.C. With a few caveats, of course.The C.D. Howe Institute has just released an analysis showing that the marginal effective tax rate in B.C. — that is, the rate at which you get dinged with taxes on income and loss of income tested benefits on the next dollar you earn— is, on average, the lowest in Canada. Mind you, my Vancouver Sun column that examines the report notes that the words “on average” can gloss over inequities at some income levels. But the overall picture, nonetheless, is pretty good. I doubt that the release was timed deliberately as the paper looks at all Western provinces. But, timed as it is, it struck me as an interesting reminded that the HST isn’t the only tax in B.C., and the fiasco surrounding its implementation isn’t the only legacy of the Campbell Liberals. To read more on my take on the report, click here. Or click here to link to the full analysis on the C.D. Howe site.Follow me on Twitter @DonCayo